Verysickbeats Digs Deep: Flipping 120-Year-Old Indian Samples for Modern Bangers

Verysickbeats kicks things off by telling producers to ditch the usual 70s crate-digging and open their minds to sounds from way further back—like, 1902 back. Instead of the same old jazz and funk, JFilt jumps into public domain territory, showing how you can use ancient recordings without worrying about sample clearance or angry emails from lawyers. He’s not just talking about India either—Brazil, Russia, Germany, you name it. The point is, there’s a whole world of forgotten grooves just waiting to be flipped.

The real gem here is a recording from Gauhar Jaan, one of India’s earliest recorded artists. JFilt finds her voice from over 120 years ago, reminding us that sometimes the freshest sounds come from the oldest sources. It’s like finding a crate of unopened vinyl in your grandma’s attic, but with less dust and more legal freedom. If you want your beats to stand out in 2026, it might be time to start digging in the public domain archives instead of your usual Spotify playlist.

Sampling ancient music isn’t just a history flex—it’s a way to inject new life into boom bap, jazz-hop, and all those sample-heavy genres. JFilt shows how flipping a 120-year-old Indian vocal can bring a wild, unexpected vibe to modern production. The contrast between the crackly old sample and today’s clean beats is like mixing cheap beer with top-shelf whiskey—it just works if you’ve got the right touch.

He layers the original vocal with a synthesized male voice, blending old and new textures until the sample sits just right in the mix. Add some tape delay, saturation, and plate reverb, and suddenly that ancient recording sounds like it was made for your next lofi banger. This isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a blueprint for making your tracks hit different without sounding like everyone else on SoundCloud.

JFilt isn’t just about finding rare samples—he’s got the sauce when it comes to making them work in a modern context. He breaks down his process step by step, from layering vocals to adding drums, guitar, and that all-important bass line. His tip about recording bass one bar at a time is pure gold—no need to stress about nailing it in one take, just chop it up and stitch together the groove.

By the end, he’s built a beat that’s both a nod to the past and a flex for the future. The blend of old and new, analog and digital, is what makes this approach so dope. You can hear the history, but you feel the bounce. And if you want to see how all those layers come together, trust me—the video’s got the kind of jam session you can’t explain in words.